Rodgers makes the calls

“That alone, to me, is a huge, huge credit to him. To be ability to continue moving and having the offensive production we had last week without key figures … It’s a tribute to the guys that stepped up and stepped in, but for him to manage those guys, understand what they do well, what their weaknesses might be, and then get them within the 25-second clock into the route that helps them win and be successful, it’s amazing.”

According to McAdoo, what’s been happening on Sundays has been the direct result of all the study and preparation Rodgers does Monday through Saturday.

“Aaron puts a lot of time in. He puts a lot of time into film study of the current opponent, he has a lot of retention on things that he’s seen in the past that have either happened to him or happened to someone else, and he can apply those moving forward,” McAdoo said. “That helps in those types of situations. The key is keeping everybody on the same page, making sure we over-communicate, and he does a nice job with it.

“We’re fortunate to have Aaron. His arm talent and the plays he makes with his feet are pretty impressive at times, but the way that he can play the game between the ears is probably what separates him.”

For his part, the 29-year-old Rodgers says it’s all simply his job – but it’s more than that.

“It is a responsibility first. That’s the way I view it,” said Rodgers, who enters Monday night’s game having completed 167 of 249 passes (67.1 percent) for 2,191 yards with 15 touchdowns and four interceptions (108.0 rating) while doing what McCarthy says he’s in fact paid to do. “The guys are counting on me to make the plays I’m accustomed to making.

“There’s a reminder every year when new guys come in. The way they look at you, the way they talk to you, they’ve seen you play on TV, they’ve watched you as they were growing up. I'm not that old, but this is my sixth year starting and so a lot of the guys I’m playing with were in high school watching me as a young starter, or in college when we won the Super Bowl, so they’ve seen me play at a high level and they have expectations when they come in.

“I know my teammates are counting on me, and it’s a responsibility that I have to make sure I’m prepared to play every week. The organization is counting on me, the fans are counting on me, fantasy owners are counting on me” –pause, smirk – “and I want to play well every week. I don’t think about all those other things – that’s kind of a 3D view of my job. (But) when I’m out there, I think about the things I can control.

“When you step back, you realize you have an important role on this team and a responsibility to play your best every week.”

Listen to Jason Wilde every weekday from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on “Green & Gold Today” on 540 ESPN, and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/jasonjwilde.